Monday, December 20, 2010

Online Colleges are not all the same!

Online Colleges are not all the same. As with everything else in life, there are tremendous differences between institutions. Recently, there have been a number of news stories concerning federal and state investigations of online colleges. Some of the most prominent names such as the University of Phoenix, Keiser University and Kaplan University have been cited as part of the investigation.

The investigations appear to center on possible misrepresentation about financial aid, recruitment and accreditation. The GAO (Government Accountability Office) report found that representatives from 15 for-profit schools (visited) offered misleading or fraudulent information to undercover agents posing as prospective students. The U.S. Senate is concerned that federal student tuition aid is a major revenue source of online colleges and that many online college programs do not result in students finding meaningful employment that would result in the student’s ability to repay student loans.

Innova World Wide College (IWWC) – A Premier Online Business College is one exception to those issues. IWWC offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting, Finance, International Business, Management Information Services (MIS), Marketing, General Management, Entrepreneurial Management, Health Care Management, and Human Resources Management. All of these degree programs provide significant employment opportunities within the business community.

What is also unique to IWWC is that students are encouraged to work while earning their degree. In fact, the targeted student market is employed individuals who recognize that a business degree will substantially increase their earnings and advance their careers with current or future employers. Another important group, is the stay at home adults raising children. Once the child reaches school age, many look for meaningful employment within the business community. Traditionally, high school graduates (vast majority), would prefer to attend a brick and mortar college. But with the cost of education and statistically high (51%) dropout rate during the first year, an online program is a nice alternative.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic reports that earning a Bachelor’s degree could increase a person’s lifetime earnings by over $3 million dollars. The report is based on how many years an individual works after earning their college degree.

As the founder and president of Innova World Wide College and the father of five children, I believe that working while in college reinforces that the student is undertaking a degree that also provides work enjoyment. It is hard to be successful if you dislike going to work and the field you have chosen. It is easy to change a student’s major early in the process.

IWWC’s 8-week accelerated terms allow students to work full time and even raise a family. The Florida State Department of Education estimates that the average student will spend 9 hours per week per 3 credit course. If a student takes 2 courses per term, the student should expect to devote 18 hours per week or 2.6 hours per day. Based on that schedule the student would graduate in a little less than 4 years. A student that takes 3 courses per term would need to devote 27 hours per week or almost 4 hours per day and that student would graduate in about two and one-half years.

The cost of a degree is also a significant concern. Below is a chart that provides comparative costs for public (state), private, other online schools and IWWC.



Innova World Wide College provides unique student benefits. The Performance Scholarship Plan provides a financial reward encouraging students to not only graduate but to graduate with a high grade point average (GPA). A high GPA could earn a student a return of 10 to 25% of their paid tuition and also enhances employment opportunities and advancement. IWWC also guarantees that a student’s tuition rate will not increase for 4 years. The college has a prestigious faculty and provides lifetime career counseling. And IWWC is developing a Corporate Partner Program for internships and future employment opportunities.

Innova World Wide College supports and operates in a green environment and strongly supports sustainability. IWWC‘s students complete their degree online which eliminates travel to and from campus, which reduces greenhouse gases. The college predominantly uses e‐books for course curriculum. The use of e‐books reduces student textbook costs and the impact on the environment from printed textbooks.

Sustainability is a key objective of the College. Students are taught that long term stability and profitability of the companies they work for, own, or operate, should be a strategic objective.

To learn more about Innova World Wide College, please visit the website at http://www.iwwcollege.com/.